2022 Councils and Committees year in review

As a new year begins and we reflect on the previous year, the exceptional thought leaders and work of our Councils and Committees stands out as a highlight.

Throughout 2022, countless insightful discussions took place, and content was produced by these groups. Below is an overview of the common themes and topics and that our Councils and Committees explored.

• The Adtech Committee focused on a wide range of current topics in their bi-monthly blog series – from going back to basics with campaign measurement, Connected TV and digital performance trends to tips for investing in your tech stack and taking control of your media future. They developed the CMA’s Members-only Adtech Resource Hub, a one-stop shop for Canadian marketers to stay on top of the latest adtech developments.

• The B2B Council delved into various topics with a B2B lens including the role of purpose-based marketing, the future of event marketing, marketing in the world of professional services, influencer and content marketing, metrics and marketing attribution, the difference between content marketing and thought leadership, B2B awards, B2B brand marketing research and how to grow brands, as well as partner marketing and how to fuel impact and drive growth through partners.

• The Brand Council explored the future of marketing and marketing talent, the drill vs. hole theory, how to ace the marketing brief, how brands are at the core of business strategy, brand marketing lessons, TV’s role in marketing and its impact on business strategy, what brand means to the Board, brand purpose, brand relevance and brand evolution.

• The Cannabis Marketing Standards Committee published a Members-only Cannabis Marketing Frequently Asked Questions resource and provided feedback on the Government of Canada’s consultation – Taking Stock of Progress: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation in Canada.

• The Creativity Council discussed how motivation plays a key role in creativity, how updates to privacy can re-fuel the art of creativity, the role of the creative technologist, how to define what a big idea is, mitigating bias in advertising, the art and science of creativity, cultural relevance and driving DEI in the creative industry, in addition to in-housing vs. agency and the impact on creativity.

• The Customer Experience Council discussed universal design, customer service quality, the evolution of NPS, omnichannel experiences, the concept of the last mile, impacts of social and industry trends on CX, hyper personalization, CX in the age of AI, how organizational design affects employee experience, and the importance of CX to non-marketers.

• The DEI Committee discussed a range of significant topics in the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion which impacted marketers in Canada in 2022 and will continue to impact the marketing community into 2023 and beyond.

• The Ethics and Standards Committee facilitated a CASL online training workshop, released a new CASL quiz for marketers to test their knowledge, a new digital accessibility Members-only resource guide, and completed the annual review and update of the Canadian Marketing Code of Ethics and Standards. 

• The Insights Council analyzed the value of marketing authenticity, how analytics intersects with martech, the growing importance of first-party data, AI in customer journeys, long-term consumer trends, diversity and multiculturalism in insights and analytics, measurement and ROI of insights, how different organizations tackle the valuation of their marketing analytics and insights functions, and fairness and bias in segmentation and machine learning and AI.

• The Internet Gaming Committee discussed best practices in the newly launched competitive market in Ontario, published an overview of the rules marketers need to know, and provided a response to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario on the potential regulatory risks associated with promotional partnerships related to internet gaming.

• The Marketing Talent Committee discussed skills-focused hiring, experiences in creating diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces, securing the right candidates, and considerations regarding the return to office.

• The Martech Council examined martech frameworks, operations, marketing in the cookieless era, technology implications, tips for planning a martech stack, strategies for operationalizing the stack in large enterprises, how low code/no code tools impact marketing, invisible challenges in martech, trends and innovation in the space, and martech roadmaps in a bicameral, decentralized organization.

• The Media Council discussed timely industry news, optimizing media mix in Canada, purpose-led marketing and media investments, media measurement, linear TV, AVOD models, media trends and predictions, the right to disconnect legislation and its impact on the media industry, building authentic connections with multicultural Canadians and newcomers, media spend and channel split, the increased importance of creative and content, and the need for media and creative agencies to work together.

• The Not-for-Profit Council explored NFP and social sector marketing trends and priorities, diversity in NFP marketing, effective collaboration in organizations with diverse stakeholders, using research strategically, insight driven NFP brand strategies, making the most of small budgets, competition versus collaboration, how NFP marketing teams can apply an intersectional and inclusive lens to their work, recruitment and retention of NFP sector staff, building industry capacity and preparing workplace-ready graduates.

• The Privacy and Data Committee supported the CMA’s significant efforts to advocate for privacy law reform in Canada, and to support privacy best practices. Committee members supported the CMA’s meetings and feedback to government on Canada’s new privacy bill, facilitated the CMA’s privacy workshops for marketers and contributed to several publications and resources, including preliminary guidance on Quebec’s Bill-64, an updated Members-only Privacy Law Comparison Chart that reflects changes proposed in Bill C-27, and the CMA’s two major research reports: Privacy Law Pitfalls and Privacy Law Priorities.

• The Sponsorship Council discussed what social purpose means for brands, how to build successful partnerships, esports and gaming, sponsorship ROI and measurement, pressures associated with global partnerships, doing more with less, and issues management.

We encourage you to explore our Councils and Committees pages to read their latest content, and leverage takeaways to support your marketing strategies and plans in the year ahead.
 
Stay tuned for more great thought leadership in 2023.